Cost of living payments: who qualifies, when is it paid and what do you get?

theguardian.com:

Households entitled to the government’s cost of living payments, announced by the chancellor in May to help with the rising cost of energy and food, should start to receive some of the money on 14 July.

There are three different cost of living payments:

The main cost of living payment, worth £650 in total, for those on income-related benefits and tax credits.

The pensioner payment, worth £300, for everyone who receives the winter fuel payment.

The disability payment, worth £150, for those on non-means-tested disability benefits.

It is the first of these that will start to be paid in July. The disability cost of living payment will be paid from September, and the pensioner payment will come in November.

The £650 is being paid in two instalments – the first is £326 and the second £324. The money will be paid into the same account that your benefits are paid into, and will have a reference “DWP Cost of Living”.

It should be paid automatically to everyone who qualifies – you do not need to apply.

About 8.2m households are expected to be eligible. To qualify you need to be receiving one of the following benefits:

Universal credit.

Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA).

Income-related employment and support allowance (Esa).

Income support.

Pension credit.

Child tax credit.

Working tax credit.

If you receive new-style employment and support allowance, contributory employment and support allowance or new-style jobseeker’s allowance but do not get universal credit, you will not qualify. If you receive housing benefit, but none of the qualifying benefits, you will not get the payment either.

To get the first, £326, payment you need to have been entitled to receive a benefit payment for an assessment period ending between 26 April 2022 and 25